NHS Grampian has suspended all planned paediatric surgery at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin, citing concerns raised by inspectors about the quality and safety of care provided to children. The health board confirmed the expanded suspension now covers elective procedures, including dental and ear, nose and throat (ENT) operations, after emergency paediatric surgery was already paused in June 2026, with limited exceptions, following the identification of concerns within surgical services.
The decision follows an unannounced inspection carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) in April 2026, after which the regulator raised specific concerns about paediatric care at the hospital.
What prompted the suspension?
According to Dr Hugh Farrow-Bishop, NHS Grampian's medical director, HIS sought assurances regarding the number of staff on site who held advanced paediatric life support training. In response, the health board said it had reviewed staffing rotas and existing procedures, introducing changes intended to guarantee that appropriately trained staff are present in the event of an emergency. Training records have also been audited, with refresher courses being organised wherever gaps were found.
Has staffing been a recurring issue at the hospital?
This is not the first time training levels at Dr Gray's have come under scrutiny. A report from February 2024 found that only 44% of registered nursing staff in the hospital's emergency department, and 64% of those on the paediatric ward, had completed paediatric immediate life support training at the time, according to a national broadcaster's report. That gap was subsequently addressed through external training. Separately, NHS Grampian said the hospital's children's ward had "fully re-opened" in April 2025 as a combined inpatient ward and assessment unit, according to NHS Grampian, indicating the site had already undergone earlier service changes before this latest suspension. HIS also published a safe-delivery-of-care inspection for the hospital in March 2025, following an earlier unannounced follow-up visit in July 2024, which found improvements had been made but still recorded further requirements and recommendations, according to Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
What has the health board said to affected families?
Dr Farrow-Bishop offered an apology to those affected and pledged that rescheduled appointments would follow soon.
"We want to apologise to those children - and their families - affected by this."
"We are committed to offering them new dates for their procedures as soon as possible."
"After the review and renewal of required training, we will determine the profile of paediatric surgery that can safely be delivered on the Dr Gray's site, alongside our colleagues at HIS."
The medical director said he anticipated this process would conclude by the end of 2026.
Is any paediatric care continuing at the hospital?
Outpatient paediatric services remain unaffected, and families have been told to keep attending scheduled appointments as normal. All other inpatient and outpatient services at Dr Gray's Hospital continue to operate as usual. Notably, the hospital's own listings still show Ward 2 as an active paediatrics department, with a dedicated switchboard number, according to NHS Grampian's hospital hub, underlining that the paediatric service itself remains operational even as planned surgery is paused.
What has the political reaction been?
Moray MSP Laura Mitchell said she was "deeply concerned" by the issues identified at the hospital.
"The safety of children in Moray and across Grampian is paramount, so I understand NHS Grampian must take urgent action to ensure our service in Elgin is safe and delivering a high quality of care for patients."
What happens next?
NHS Grampian has said it expects to complete its review of training and staffing, and to determine what level of paediatric surgery can safely resume at Dr Gray's Hospital, by the end of 2026, working alongside Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
- All planned paediatric surgery, including dental and ENT procedures, has been suspended at Dr Gray's Hospital.
- The suspension follows an unannounced HIS inspection in April 2026 and an earlier pause on emergency paediatric surgery in June 2026.
- NHS Grampian has reviewed staffing rotas and training records and is arranging refresher courses where needed.
- Outpatient paediatric care and all other hospital services remain unaffected.
- A decision on resuming safe levels of paediatric surgery is expected by the end of 2026.
